Pavers Patio 5 Year Check up : Awesome!

Outdoor Living Space created by paving stones & retaining walls

Recently I received a call from a past client who wanted to have some additional brick paver work done. This was a great opportunity for me to perform a "check up" on the paver patio installation I performed 5 years ago. It is not often you get the time or opportunity to inspect paver installations from 5 years earlier.

This homeowner has been diligent in doing the basic brick paver maintenance requirements for paving stones. They have swept paver joint sand in the paver joints each Spring and made sure that the landscape (grass & mulch) around the edges have been maintained.  A few caps on the sitting walls had come loose over the years due to winter frost but the customer was able to easily re-glue with the proper adhesive.

It is important for any brick paver contractor to spend the time at the completion of the brick paver project to educate their customer on the ongoing paver maintenance requirements.  Not only does this help during the warranty period, but this will insure the long-term success and appearance of brick pavers and modular retaining walls.  This particular customer made a sizable investment in their landscape pavers and wanted to insure its performance.

This brick paver patio project was intended to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing Outdoor Living Space to entertain family & friends.  The biggest feature is the Firepit with accompanying Sitting Walls for roasting marshmallows & hot dogs. A built-in Grill and privacy retaining walls around the Hot Tub created a unique custom design.  The paver patio steps lead up to a composite deck for added beauty and stability. The final touch was the " lion pit" installed for the egress window. Not only was it a safe & functional project, but it was the best aesthetically pleasing and matching structure.

This old world tumbled paver was Unilock's Brussels Block pavers and Brussels Dimensional  retaining wall system.  The color was Mahogany which is a color mix of Limestone & Sandstone and creates a great "taupe" hue. Many of my customers prefer an unfinished natural look over a straight line manicured appearance.  Tumbled pavers and modular retaining wall blocks typically carry an additional 50% or more per unit costs. This extra cost is due to the additional production process of tumbling the paver products and the manual restacking onto pallets.

I have always advised my customers not to seal tumbled pavers.  Sealing pavers that are tumbled will remove the scratches & textures that make them looked aged & natural. If you ever choose to seal tumbled pavers, make sure you wait atleast a year to allow the dust to wear off the surface of the paving stones or wall blocks.  If you are concerned about the tracking or disappearance of the joint sand, polymeric sand is your solution without having to seal your paver patio, walkway, driveway, porch, etc.. .

If you want to have your brick pavers project maintain the same beauty & function as it did the day it was installed, you will need to perform some minor paver maintenance each year or hire a brick paver specialist to perform this service for you.  This particular customer wanted to protect their investment and today they are reaping the rewards!  Bring on the Smores and break out the Towne Club soda and lets party!

Brick Paver Porch and Steps: Total Porch Replacement

Porch replacement using brick pavers

We completed a Brick Paver Porch and Steps installation that not only improved our clients curb appeal, but also made their front porch more functional and safer.  This existing old cement porch and poured concrete steps had begun to settle and deteriorate. The homeowners main concern for safety was that the rises on the cement steps were over 9" each and the treads where only 9" wide.

The first objective for the new design of this paver porch and steps installation was to make the step risers and treads safer.  This would require us to add another paver step to decrease the overall step risers to reach the top of the porch.  Because the new paver steps could not go out any farther into the driveway, the new paver porch needed to have new dimensions to facilitate an additional paver step.

We completely removed the old cement porch and steps with sledge hammers, pry bars, and a diamond blade saw.  We were real close to renting an air jack hammer & compressor but after a pot of coffee and some Tim Horton's Tim Bits, this porch removal moved forward at a swift pace.  The dirt fill inside the old porch was removed to allow for crushed gravel to allow proper drainage.

We constructed the new paver porch using Fendt's Old World Country Manor for the porch walls & paver steps, and we used Fendt's Holland Paver laid in a 45 degree Herringbone pattern for the top landing inset. The newly created rises where a safe and comfortable 6.5" each.  The newly capped paver steps now had a 12" tread for added safety and beautiful finish.

This particular brick paver porch and steps installation was a TOTAL PORCH REPLACEMENT project. There are 2 other applications of paver porches that we perform.  Below is a brief description of the other two pavers porch applications.

PORCH OVERLAY:
When the existing porch's overall structure is sound but the top cement stoop is unsightly, a brick paver porch overlay application can be performed. As long as there is clearance for the door to open with the thickness of the pavers on top of the old cement porch, the pavers can be adhered along the outside borders and the brick paver pattern laid within these borders. A simple paver joint sand or polymeric sand can be swept in all the joints.  The 4-7" thick cement cap face is also hidden by adhering the pavings stones to the face. This technique requires a little strategy and sometimes we need to construct some temporary support until the adhesive sets. This paver porch installation is usually the cheapest of the 3 options listed in this post.

PORCH ENCLOSURE:

BEFORE

AFTER

When conditions allow and the old cement porch can not allow for a porch overlay application as described above, a paver porch enclosure is considered.  The porch enclosure application requires us to construct a modular retaining wall frame around the porch and then lay paving stones within this frame.  In essence, the old cement porch is "buried" and left as a foundation within the structure.  This paver porch application is used for more "cosmetic" improvement then for a structural need.  This option usually costs less than the total porch replacement application because the homeowner saves the removal & disposal cost of the old porch. The old cement porch condition will determine if this application can be performed.

The overall condition of the existing cement porch & steps and the objectives for the design of the pavers porch & steps will determine which paver porch application will work. We evaluate each situation and recommend the appropriate application that meets the customer's need and budget. Paver porches & steps dramatically improve function and curb appeal.

 

Paver porches have become the new trend in today's porch replacement needs of homeowners. Many new home construction plans are designing paver porches. Aside from roof replacement, porch replacements are one of the most common outdoor home improvement projects.

Paver Patio under Deck restored to original beauty!

Pavers Patio rejuvenated in Ann Arbor

Early this past week, we restored a brick paver patio in Ann Arbor that the past homeowner neglected and installed themselves.  The new homeowner was renovating the house and wanted to restore the current pavers patio to its original beauty and function.

The existing pavers patio had settled in several spots and the outside soldier course had creeped out and sunk.  The brick paver joints where full of dirt, moss, grass, and soot from water puddling areas.  This paving stone patio also pitched back towards the house and did not have any paver edge restraint.  The new homeowner was finishing their walk out basement and the pavers patio was a necessary part of their entertaining and enjoyment.

To save the customer some money, I suggested we reuse the current tumble pavers named Old World Vintage which is produced by Fendt in Michigan.  The homeowner wanted to expand the size of the pavers patio to accommodate a newly purchased hot tub.  We did inspect the current paver base material and found it to be sufficient for reinstalling. This also saved the customer a considerable cost.

We lifted up the current paving stones, power washed them off, excavated the additional areas to be paved, install the proper base material in the new areas, and recompacted the existing base.  We added additional base material to properly pitch the pavers patio out into the yard and away from the house.

Because the homeowner had increased the size of the existing pavers patio design, I suggested that we purchase some more Old World Vintage and use the new paving stones as the soldier course border for framing.  This paver design approach would give us enough square feet of paving stone to complete the pavers patio new dimensions and give the overall appearance some consistency.

We reinstalled the existing paving stones with the new pavers for the soldier course border and the end result was spectacular! The pavers patio was properly pitched out from the house to the yard and a cement bead edge restraint was installed.  The new paver soldier course border gave a fresh new look and texture that improved the overall appearance of this patio.

We finished off the project with paver joint sand after using the plate compactor to create lock up of the paving stones.  We left the homeowner an extra bag of paver joint sand for any future touch ups this Fall.  We instructed the customer to wait until next Spring to either seal their pavers patio or re-sweep in regular joint sand or polymeric sand.  

We spent about a half hour after the pavers patio was completed educating the homeowner on future brick paver maintenance requirements, sealing or polymeric sand options, and the landscape needs around the outside of the patio borders.  After receiving a hearty handshake and hug from the homeowners, we reminded them we enjoy outdoor parties and hot tubs too!

Gardenscape changed to Paver Patio

Interlocking Pavers show versatility

Recently I was hired to modify an existing brick paver Gardenscape into a fully functional Pavers Patio in Saline. This interlocking paver gardenscape design was very creative but really not functional for entertaining or casual use. This wheel & spoke design with a small inner hub did not allow enough room to be functional or allow for patio furniture. Properly designed paver patio projects will not only give years of beauty but ease of use .

I suggested that we remove the existing periwinkle ground cover and fill in the quarter circles with additional paving stones. I also suggested we use a different shape & color paving stone to achieve "paver quilting" design. Paver quilting is an brick paver industry term for mixing paving stone textures, shapes, colors, and laying patterns to achieve a quilt like design.  I also suggested we lay them in an opposite direction so they would stand out and give some additional contrast.

I also suggested we remove the center brick paver wheel & spoke design and install a fully functional Firepit made from Fendt's Fire Block kit.  These brick paver patio modifications will create a large back yard patio that will give years of enjoyment for entertaining, sun bathing, and roasting marshmallows! The homeowner wanted to have a large patio table & umbrella, multiple patio chairs, and loungers.

This brick paver project took 2 days to complete and the end result was spectacular. The beauty of interlocking pavers is that the homeowner could use their new paver patio and firepit immediately. Brick pavers do not require any dry setting so they become fully functional upon completion. That very evening our customer entertained guests and had  an attractive fire that all enjoyed making smores. This paver project serves as another brick paver installation that meets the needs of the customer! Always keep in mind that brick pavers allow for easy modifications to meet your ever changing needs or wants. Adding on or relaying pavers is one of the many advantages that interlocking pavers offer.